NewsOne Contributor Kevin Powell To Pen Official Tupac Biography

New York — Kevin Powell has had a whirlwind 2010: It began with him delivering a keynote address on the official Dr. King holiday at Microsoft’s Washington State headquarters; and included an electrifying and closely watched run for Congress in Brooklyn. Though Kevin did not win the election, he did win legions of new supporters nationwide. Indeed, Kevin’s future as a leader in America is very bright, with an announcement on his next political moves to come Spring 2011.

Not one to sit still for very long, we are happy to publicize two major milestones happening for Kevin in December: First, he is producing his 10th anniversary holiday party/charity event, with this year’s affair being a benefit for Haiti. Kevin launched this party with a purpose in December 2001, as his response to the September 11th tragedy. It has grown to be the most celebrated gathering in New York each holiday season, and a mini-cultural festival that includes djs and dance music, short film screenings, live art, fashion displays, the ever-popular live music area called The Acoustic Lounge, and even a video gaming section.

This year’s event will support Edeyo (eh-day-yo means “help them” in Creole), a school and community outreach center in HAITI. Edeyo has 300plus children, ages 3-14 in its program, and Kevin is thrilled to be involved with this very legitimate Haitian charity: “I picked Edeyo because it is run by Haitian and Haitian Americans who have been on the front lines of relief and developments efforts. So we are asking people of goodwill to bring supplies or toys, or both.”

Kevin’s annual holiday party and benefit for Haiti will feature a special performance by the cast of Tony Award-winning musical FELA! and the deejay skills of legendary hiphop figure D-Nice.

Just as important to Kevin as his activism is his writing career. So we are excited to share that Kevin has just signed a two-book deal with publishing powerhouse Simon & Schuster. The first will be Kevin’s long-awaited memoir, the boy with a mother and no father, due in stores Fall 2012. Immediately following the completion of his memoir, Kevin will embark on Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography. Kevin has authored or edited 10 books previously.

Says Kevin, “It is an honor to write what will be the definitive biography on the life and times of Tupac Shakur, one of the greatest icons in hiphop and pop culture history. Our relationship began when I documented his journey while at Vibe in the 1990s. And I will never forget being there at that Las Vegas hospital when Tupac’s death was announced. He remains, all these years later, one of the most dynamic and complicated humans I’ve ever encountered. I will present Tupac as the very whole and multi-layered being he was, as I remember well his asking me, quite prophetically, to be Alex Haley to his Malcolm X.”

Adds Afeni Shakur, mother of Tupac, and executor of his estate: “Kevin Powell is doing this Tupac Shakur biography with my full blessings. I trust him and his history of documenting my son’s life, and I know he will do the book from his heart.”